Best Stain For Pine

Picked up a knotty pine exterior door and want to stain it with something with a green/gray color, that will be semi transparent to compliment the wood grain.
I have some leftover fence stain in the color I want but dont know if it would be good for pine. If so is there any special prep work I should do or just put the stain on the door.
Any sealer or polyurethane coat needed to go over the stain?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
BTW there is a storm door between this door and the weather.

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Re:
Best Stain For Pine

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jer

Picked up a knotty pine exterior door and want to stain it with something with a green/gray color, that will be semi transparent to compliment the wood grain.
I have some leftover fence stain in the color I want but dont know if it would be good for pine. If so is there any special prep work I should do or just put the stain on the door.
Any sealer or polyurethane coat needed to go over the stain?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
BTW there is a storm door between this door and the weather.

Your best bet would be to do a sample piece first. Depending on how your sample turns out (if you like the look or not) go from there. Pine is porous so you may want to start with a sealer - of course this will mean your stain will be lighter so you will have to tone it afterwards to get the right colour. Seal coats should go over your stain once it's dry followed by topcoats. Make sure all your products are compatible with eachother so you don't have issues. Talk to a cabinet supply store in your area they should be able to assist you with the right products for your door.

Re:
Best Stain For Pine

Do not use Poly (I have never seen ext. grade) if it will be exposed to sun light.
Use marine varnish instead.
Poly will not stand up to the UV rays given off by the sun. It will become opaque,brittle and crack.

Edit: Pine is quite soft so I would say the marine varnish is a must. Two or three coats should provide a strong "shell".

Re:
Best Stain For Pine

[quote=Mellison;876724]Do not use Poly (I have never seen ext. grade) if it will be exposed to sun light.
Use marine varnish instead.
Poly will not stand up to the UV rays given off by the sun. It will become opaque,brittle and crack.

Re:
Best Stain For Pine

[quote=genecarp;876752]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mellison

Do not use Poly (I have never seen ext. grade) if it will be exposed to sun light.
Use marine varnish instead.
Poly will not stand up to the UV rays given off by the sun. It will become opaque,brittle and crack.

I used this once, i have not seen it in a couple of years, GMOD, it was used on the Spaceshuttle, a few UV rays there i bet

Q. What Deft product should I use on my exterior door?

A. Defthane Interior/Exterior oil based polyurethane or Water Based Polyurethane Interior/Exterior are all excellent choices for most exterior wood surfaces, especially doors. Defthane and Water Based Polyurethane contain ultra violet absorbers which help block out the sun's harmful rays.

Re:
Best Stain For Pine

I prefer Cabots stain, also wood recommend to pre stain the door. As far as a exterior varnish Sikkens makes the best product out there. It is a 3 step process and is expensive but in the long run you are better off.

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Re:
Best Stain For Pine

I have gotten pretty good results taking a wet towel and moistening the pine wood first. This makes the grain swell. Then use a latex stain while the wood is still a little damp. Try it on a sample piece first.

Re:
Best Stain For Pine

IMO , sand the entire door to 180 in stages, than I would Use a wood Condition before you do anything else so you avoid blotchy areas in the staining-The grain structure is not as dense as hard woods and a conditioner will give you a better even application.

Re:
Best Stain For Pine

If he wants to -however decks and doors are not the same applications - It is the top coat that will keep the tone of the stain -UV factor- not the stain itself. Personally-I think he would get better results using a good stain meant for this type of application. I wouldn't use deck stain on a door ,an alcohol based NGR / die or rubbing stain is what I would use.
Brian

Re:
Best Stain For Pine

Quote:

Originally Posted by Girlscanbld2

Yes, but his question was...can he use deck stain? I wonder if a clear coat will adhere to it?

Thanks for all the input guys (and gals!)
The stain I had left over from my fence was already tinted the color I would like, but if this type of stain is not good on a pine door I will certainly get a fresh gallon of whatever is recommended.
So if I understand correctly I should first use some kind of wood conditioner, then the stain, then a marine spar varnish.
Someone mentioned pre-staining the door . How exactly does that work?

Re:
Best Stain For Pine

A transparent exterior stain will work fine on the pine door, and since it absorbs into the wood more than it lays on top, I'd imagine a good Spar varnish (marine varnish) would adhere just fine. A wood conditioner is more or less a clear stain base meant to pre-fill the thirsty pores of the pine that cause the blotchy-ness.

We used to stain front doors on these big contemporary McMansions around here without any further topcoat. If the door was exposed to direct sunlight and rain, it would be ready for another coat in just a year or two.

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